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What's New!

I had two other threads under the same name, but I guess when a thread isn't updated in a while, it gets locked out. . .So let's give this thing a nice fresh start!

Here's where I take a moment to talk about some of the new comics my daughter and I are buying. Not full reviews. . .just short impressions and whatnot.

If you happen to be a reader of my Longbox Junk blog (Thanks! ) then you know that I've been on a bit of a Marvel kick lately. . .trying to get into some of their more recent offerings with the help of my comic lovin' (and Marvel fan) daughter.

So here's a few brand-spankin' new Marvel books I've bought off the rack lately:

WINTER SOLDIER

Bucky "Winter Soldier" Barnes going solo in Midwest America as a kind of "Equalizer" (if anyone remembers that T.V. show) where if you have a problem and manage to contact him, he's your hero for hire IF he thinks it's a worthy cause.

I picked this up for the amazing cover, but put it on the pull list based on the engaging story and fantastic art. This comic has a great creative team going for it. I'm really looking forward to the next issue!

X-FORCE

If you're a reader of my blog (once again, Thanks! ) then you know I'm not really a fan of X-Men OR Team books, which would seem to knock this one out sight unseen. . .but my daughter told me that if I REALLY wanted to jump into some Modern Marvel, then why not a fresh new #1 X-Team book? So I reluctantly gave this first issue a shot when she handed it to me off the rack in our LCS.

And I REALLY liked it! I was totally surprised to find myself wanting more at the end of this comic. . .especially considering I'm really only vaguely familiar with any of the characters involved.

It's a dark, brutal story that's DEFINITELY NOT for kids, backed up by some likewise dark and exaggerated artwork that is a real eye-catcher. If you're looking for a darker take on mainstream Marvel super-heroics, then I can definitely suggest X-Force! I'm firmly on board for this one.

DEFENDERS: THE BEST DEFENSE

I have Immortal Hulk on my pull list, so my LCS tossed me this comic for free (they do some "try before you buy" freebies for long-time customers).

Unfortunately, it's a bit of a mess and I didn't really like it at all. The story was confusing, some of the characters were really out of place (Namor in outer space?) and the whole thing just felt like a contrived excuse to squeeze a few bucks from fans of the separate characters. This just seems like it shouldn't even exist.

The only things it has going for it (in my extremely humble opinion) is that I got it for free and it DOES have a most SWEET cover for my office wall.

And last but certainly not least. . .

IMMORTAL HULK

Okay, so this one isn't as fresh and new as the others. The first issue came out last year in August and it's on issue #11 now. . .but I've REALLY been liking this series!

I picked up the first issue based on the fantastic cover and found myself hooked on a dark and brutal story that leans hard into the "Jekyll & Hyde for the Atomic Age" horror of two people fighting over control of the same body.

I've never really been a Hulk fan, but I'm definitely on board with Immortal Hulk (for now. . .I haven't seen a Hulk series yet that doesn't fly off the rails eventually).

So that's it for a Mighty Marvel edition of "What's New". Hopefully I'll remember to update this in time so that I won't have to start a FOURTH thread. If you have any suggestions for some new Marvel books for me to check out, toss them in here to me. Thanks for reading!

If you're interested, here's a nice fresh batch of new #1 issues my daughter and I picked up this week. If you're NOT interested, then here's a nice fresh batch of new #1 issues my daughter and I picked up this week anyway!

Comic reviews that nobody ever asked for is sort of what I do, so let's do it!

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 (Marvel)

Awwwwwww. . .YEAH! Conan is BACK!

I've been a fan of all things Conan for about as long as I can remember. As far as the comics go, I have to admit that I liked Dark Horse's Conan offerings a lot more than Marvel's (except for Savage Sword). I just feel like Dark Horse respected the original source material a lot more.

BUT. . .

I'm excited to have some Conan comics back on the stands no matter WHO puts them out, so I'm more than willing to give Marvel a chance to win me over. The good news is that this first issue goes a long way toward doing exactly that. The art is very strong and even though the story isn't as great as I'd like it to be, I'm still interested in seeing where it's going. I really liked that it incorporates both young Conan and King Conan in the same story.

But what I REALLY liked about this issue was the ad showing the coming return of Savage Sword of Conan! Yes, please! Thank you, Marvel!

My score for Conan The Barbarian #1:3 out of 5 shouted oaths to Crom!

TUROK #1 (Dynamite)

Turok is back too? SCORE!

Turok is a character that's been around a long time and he's gone through a lot of changes. He's a character that I like a lot, but there always seems to come a point where writers don't know where to go with him.

The good news is that this is a FANTASTIC first issue! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this issue and I am definitely on board for this version of Turok. The writer has this story set in a gritty and realistic version of the American West, and the art is likewise perfectly gritty and realistic, and that really makes the fantastic elements toward the end (dinosaurs, of course!) stand out in a big way.

Look. . .if you're a fan of western comics at all, you MUST pick up Turok #1. Trust me on this.

As excited as I am for some new Conan and Turok, it's NOTHING compared to my daughter's anticipation for this title! Normally, her public demeanor is a sort of general disinterested grumpiness, but when the clerk at the LCS handed her a stack of comics with this one on top, you would have thought he handed her a goddamn lottery check from the smile on her face. I'm trying to say that my daughter is a HUGE fan of these particular characters.

As for me? I thought it was. . .okay.

This is a comic that is obviously written for people like my daughter who have genuinely missed these characters since they went away in the New 52. But for anyone else, it's a bit of a mess.

There's so many continuity questions as to how this team can even exist in the DC Rebirth universe that I can't even begin to go into them without getting into a whole review of the thing. Let's just say that future issues have a LOT of 'splaining to do.

Beyond that, the issue is just. . .a mess. It tries to stuff 10 pounds of characters into a 5 pound sack by introducing everyone and everything in one single issue. And then there's the new characters. "Teen Lantern" is barely given an introduction at all, while "Jinny Hex" is. . .no. Just. . .please, no. Poor Jonah Hex is rolling in his grave.

This whole comic reeks of fan service and established continuity be damned.

My score for Young Justice #1:5 out of 2 confused eyebrow lifts.

So that's what's new for this week. If you know about a new series that I (or really anyone here) might like, throw it in here and I'll give it a shot.

FYI Atom the defenders book is the fifth in a miniseries, so if you're confused about how namor got to space, you would want to go back and pick up the other four (one of which is a namor focused story)

Interesting take on The X-Force #1 issue. I saw one person on Facebook saying the story was terrible, and another saying the art was no good. And you liked both aspects. That just goes to show how different our tastes run.

I had my hands on the only remaining Turok issue at my store, and considered getting it, but I'm already reading too many. So instead I'm featuring a 1960 Dell Turok issue in my Cool Comics blog next week...which lessons the pain of not getting the new one.

Tex75455 said:FYI Atom the defenders book is the fifth in a miniseries, so if you're confused about how namor got to space, you would want to go back and pick up the other four (one of which is a namor focused story)

Thanks for pointing that out! I asked my LCS about it and found out that what I THOUGHT was the beginning of an ongoing series is actually the END of a limited. Makes me wonder why they tossed me that issue for being an Immortal Hulk subscriber instead of the Immortal Hulk one shot. . .but I guess I can't complain for free.

I picked up the 4 one shots (which ALL have fantastic covers!) but haven't read them just yet. Thanks again!

The Conan was the first new comic I picked up in a while...I too loved all the old Conan stories and was happy to see it return along with Savage Sword. Just purchased the whole Savage Sword of Conan TPB series (20+ volumes), so lots of Conan material to go through now!

Marvel is really hitting my wallet these days! All of my new #1's this week are from Marvel: Two one shot throwback anthologies and two jump-on's for new ongoing series. Let's take a look!

BLACK WIDOW #1Marvel

SCRIPTS: Jen & Sylvia SoskaPENCILS: FlavionoCOVER: Clayton Crain

Black Widow is back from the dead. . .sort of. She's a clone with implanted memories who is trying to decide if she's a hero or a killer. She takes on a mission with Captain America, but is frustrated by his methods. Leaving The Avengers behind, she travels to Madripoor to try and find her purpose.

Black Widow is a character I like a lot, and this first issue didn't disappoint. I'm a little "iffy" on the new "clone" version of Black Widow, but this story has a lot of action, great dialogue, and the best Captain America I've seen in a while. The art is fantastic and that cover is a real eye-catcher. This one is definitely going on my pull list.

Memories of WWII haunt Namor's thoughts even as he forces alliances with rival Atlantian factions and prepares to make war on the surface world. Meanwhile, Jim Hammond (the original Human Torch) is writing a book on the Invaders, and accidentally discovers some strange information about Namor. Also, Captain America reaches out to Winter Soldier to enlist him in a plan to try and end the conflict with Namor peacefully, as friends and former comrades in arms.

This comic is connected with events going on in other series, which I don't normally like, but since I got this comic for free, I gave it a fair chance and found myself REALLY liking it a lot, even if I don't have all the details behind why Namor is now a villain.

It's really two stories. . .one set during WWII and one in the present day. The WWII story is the most interesting to me, with the added bonus of being illustrated by Butch Guice, one of my favorite artists. The present day story is also good and well illustrated, but there's just something about a WWII superhero story rendered in Guice's rough, but detailed art that hooks me in.

I liked this a lot and will pull at least a few more issues to see where it's going.

In this Marvel 80th Anniversary one-shot throwback to the 70's horror anthology of the same name, there's 3 connected stories: A framing device about a man seeing a psychiatrist for a terrifying fear of dogs, that doesn't end the way the patient OR the reader thinks it will. . .A man with the worst luck in the world who robs a tomb in desperation and ends up as a permanent occupant. . .and a man in a marriage gone bad who tries to poison his wife's beloved dog, with unexpected and tragic results.

What I really liked about this one-shot is that on the surface this is three connected stories, but at the end of it all, you realize it's all really one story. The twist is unexpected and very nicely done. The stories (or story) are well-written and move along at a brisk pace. The art isn't much to shout about. It's good and tells the story, but doesn't try to go much beyond that. I got the variant homage cover on this, which is awesome in a nostalgic throwback way, if you can find it.

Overall, this is a great one-shot, and one of the reasons I love one shots more than any other kind of comic!

Another Marvel 80th Anniversary throwback one shot, this time paying homage to the short-lived 70's title of the same name and including two stories. The first (by comic legend Howard Chaykin) centers on a Nazi Luftwaffe pilot who is forced to hide his love for "degenerate" Jazz music through the war. The second story is set in modern-day Afghanistan and is a reflection on whether or not becoming numb to the horrors of war can be considered a kind of disease.

I'm 50/50 on this one shot. The first story is just okay. It has an interesting premise, but the "twist" ending falls flat. And then there's the art. I understand that Chaykin is considered a legend, but in MY extremely humble opinion, his art has gotten progressively worse over the years. The vehicles and battle scenes in his story are spectacular. . .but his characters and faces are just plain bad. The second story (told through the eyes of a soldier in Afghanistan) is very thought-provoking and even a bit uncomfortable in its implications. It's illustrated nicely, but doesn't shy away from gore and is not for the squeamish or younger readers.

Overall, this one was a bit rough. I liked it, but the art was dodgy on the first entry and, as a Marine Corps veteran, I found the story was a bit too close to home and uncomfortable in the second.

My score for War Is Hell: 3 out of 5 thousand yard stares.

And that's it this time out for What's New!

I'm usually more of a DC fan, but it looks like Marvel is stepping up their game to earn some of my comic dollars. I like it!

That is a great Crypt of Shadows reboot. One of the only 2 books I picked up on Wednesday, and opted for cover B that you showed. Too bad it is only a one shot. I really love the 70's horror books from both Marvel and DC.

People want to know. How can I live like this? The risks? The times I've descended into madness? The times I've died? How can I live like this? How could I live any other way?

In a hard reboot of the Buffy comics universe, a teenage vampire slayer (Buffy) moves to a small town, meets some new friends, and slays some vampires.

From what my daughter says, this brings the whole "Buffy" experience clear back to square one. I have to take her word for it, because I've never seen a single episode of the T.V. series. She's a HUGE fan with all the seasons on DVD that she still watches often and plenty of the comic books as well.

SO. . .

From MY perspective as a new reader coming in cold with only a bit of knowledge gained somehow from pop culture osmosis, I found this a pretty lousy jumping on point. It's supposed to be a hard reboot, but the writers obviously feel like you should already know the characters, and so the introductions are extremely rushed, the characters are very sketchily outlined, and the dialogue just seems like it's trying WAY too hard to be hip.

Is it even hip to say hip anymore? God, I'm getting old. GET OFF MY LAWN!

The art is okay. It tells the story, but doesn't try very hard to go beyond that.Overall, this comic does nothing to make me want to learn about the Buffy universe. I'll pass on reading more.

BUT. . .

I'm not the audience this comic is for. It claims to be a hard reset, but it's obviously for established fans like my daughter. What does SHE think about it?

She thought it was pretty good. She also found the dialogue to be forced and unnatural, and the character introductions to be rushed. That said, she thinks it will get a lot better once all the players are introduced and the series can start telling new stories, so (as a fan) she's scoring on future potential.

My REAL question about this comic is whether or not hanging that awesome variant cover my daughter picked for this issue on my office wall for the Halloween comic cover display will raise any HR red flags. . .

I taught that girl how to read with comic books! She's just at home digging through the back issue bins as I am, and she knows her stuff. As you can see from my recent Longbox Junk entries and here, she's starting to become an official collaborator. At least I know my collection will be in good hands when I'm gone.

Daredevil is a character my daughter and I both generally like, but at the same time, haven't followed in an ongoing series in quite a while. THIS first issue has managed to get me on board again. . .for now at least. DD is another character that writers seem to lose a grip on after a while.

ANYWAY. . .

Following an almost fatal accident and a long grind of rehabilitation and recovery, Daredevil is ready to hit the streets again. . .but is it for the right reasons?

I REALLY liked this issue a lot. There's not much action to it, as it focuses more on the man behind the mask as he struggles with his identity as a hero and WHY he does what he does. It also sets up a few plot threads for upcoming stories, including the possibility that (because he's not in prime shape and probably hit the streets before he should have) he might have killed a man. All of it illustrated in the dark, scratchy, but realistic style of one of my favorite comic book artists, Marco Checchetto! I definitely want to see what will happen next. . .

Overall, this great creative team has put out a very well done jumping on point that managed to pull me back into the world of Daredevil after being gone for a long time.

My Score for Daredevil #1: 4 out of 5 ninja flips

NEXT!SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #1

MARVEL

SCRIPT: Gerry DugganPENCILS: Ron GarneyCOVER: George Perez (Variant)

AWWWWWW. . .YEAH!

As happy as I was to see my favorite barbarian back on the stands, the ad for THIS series in the first issue of Conan was what I really liked best about it. I used to LOVE those black and white Savage Sword issues. . .still do!

I am NOT disappointed!

The story is built around a young Conan having bad luck during a sea battle and barely surviving, then being captured by slavers and making his escape (after battling the captain of the ship, who turns out to be a snakelike demon who wears the skins of human beings as disguise) along with another slave chained to his ankle, and in possession of the captain's treasure. . .a mysterious box that gives Conan visions of a fantastic treasure horde, as well as glimpses of his future.

This is how the first issue of a new series should be done! It has action, adventure, mystery, and introduces the characters as a natural part of the story. But as good as the story is, what REALLY hooks me into this one is the fantastic art! I'm not familiar with this artist, but his style evokes the bold lines of the legendary Gene Colan. . .one of my favorite old-school artists! The art alone is worth every penny of the price of this comic. This is a definite winner for Marvel in my book and a must read for any Conan fan.

And not for nothing, but just LOOK at that great variant cover by comic legend George Perez! That one's definitely taking a turn on the office wall comic cover display.

My score for Savage Sword of Conan #1: 5 out of 5 shouts of "CROM!"

Two winners this time out. I have to say that lately Marvel has been getting a lot more of my attention than it has in many a year. DC needs to step it up a bit and give me some good new stuff to read before I end up joining the Merry Marvel Marching Society.

Haven't had much time to hit the comic shop in the past couple of weeks due to being short-staffed and unseasonably busy at my work and my daughter's crappy new work schedule. Finally made it out there, but only picked up two new issues on top of our usual stack. . .once again, both Marvel. DC needs to step it up with some new stuff.

Let's take a short look!

AGE OF CONAN: BELIT, QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST #1(AKA "The Longest Damn Title on The Shelf")

SCRIPTS: Tini HowardPENCILS: Kate NiemczykCOVER: Sana Takeda

Young Belit, daughter of a famous Pirate King, witnesses the brutal death of her father. After escaping being sold into slavery by his killers, she swears to take her proper place as Queen of The Pirates. . .

So far, Marvel hasn't done me wrong when it comes to the new Conan titles, so I was pretty excited for this title. And that cover! Just LOOK at that cover!

Unfortunately, this is a PERFECT example of why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. The story is. . .okay. The main problem for ME is that the art is borderline unacceptable for a major company like Marvel, especially with a $3.99 price tag. . .

This hobby is getting more expensive, and for Marvel to get MY four bucks, they need to provide more than an "okay" story and amateurish art. Take my advice. . .even if you're a huge Conan fan (like I am), don't get drawn in by the cover on this one and skip it.

My Score for Belit, Queen of The Black Coast: 1 out of 5 disappointed facepalms.

NEXT!

STAR WARS: VADER: DARK VISIONS #1(AKA "Any way you could maybe throw another colon in there?")

After crash landing during a space battle, Darth Vader defeats a gigantic creature and is hailed as a hero by the inhabitants of the planet. . .

I didn't really know what to expect from this one because I hadn't heard of it coming out, but like Conan (until Belit), Marvel hasn't done me wrong with their Star Wars comics yet, so I took a chance. . .and I'm glad I did!

Where Belit does everything wrong with a Conan title, Dark Visions gives me everything right with a Star Wars comic! It has action, adventure, and some REALLY good art. . .

There are a lot of really great moments for Darth Vader in this issue. What I liked best about it is that it's about Vader as a HERO (even if accidentally), which is a pretty unusual situation for him to be in.

It looks like this is going to be a 5 issue mini with different artists, writers, and stories in each issue. Basically 5 Darth Vader one shots. This first issue is a winner and I'm definitely on board for the rest!

When my LCS owner handed me my comic pulls yesterday, I saw he'd added the Age of Conan comic, which I hadn't ordered from him. He wanted me to have the opportunity to get one if I wanted it, but I kindly put it back on the shelves. Sounds like my instinct was right! Thanks for confirming it, Atom...but sorry you had to pay the $4 for something you didn't like.

Instead of getting it, I bought $15.75 worth of quarter comics and I'm very happy about those.

Thanks for the rundown on the Conan book. I will say, the photos for the cover I have seen posted online don't do it justice. The cover itself, in front of you, is absolutely beautiful. I opted not to get it yesterday, and kind of glad that I did not now after hearing more.

People want to know. How can I live like this? The risks? The times I've descended into madness? The times I've died? How can I live like this? How could I live any other way?